Heel-seat fitting machine



Allg 29, v1939'` w. D. THOMAS 2,170,842

HEEL-SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 29,1939. w. D THOMAS y HEEL-SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed Angl 2s, 1958 `ssheets-sheet 2 Aug. 29,' 1939. W. D THOMAS 2,170,842

HEEL-SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2e, `193s .s sheds-sheet s UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE I-IEEL- SEAT FITTING MACHINE William D. Thomas,Lynnfield, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 26,1938, Serial No. 226,995

9 Claims. (Cl. 12-31.5)

This invention relates to the manufacture of sole of the shoe to theform illustrated in Fig. shoes and is illustrated as embodied in a maforthe reception of the interlocking heel; chine for tting the heel-seatportions of at- Fig. 3 is an exploded View showing the comtached solesof shoes for the reception of heels mercial heel gage used in operatingupon Louis 5 having sole-receiving channels of the type disand CubanWork, and the under side of a plat- 5 closed in United States LettersPatent No. form which may be positioned upon said heel 2,121,172,granted June 21, 1938, on an applicagage to equip the machine foroperating upon tion led in the name of Fred C. Lovejoy. interlockingwork;

It is an object of the invention to provide a Figs. 4 and 5 areperspective views showing the machine for quickly and eiectivelyreducing the heel ends of shoes the attached soles of which l0 heel-endportions of previously attached short have been trimmed by the machineequipped as soles intended to be interlocked with heels havillustratedin Figs. 1 and 2, TGSDeCtVelY; and

ing sole-receiving channels, such heels being Fig. 6 shows a coveredinterlocking heel. hereinafter referred to as interlocking heels, andThe illustrated machine will be described with particularly to equip thecommercial heel-seat reference to reducing the heel ends 20 (Fig. 4) 15tting machine which is disclosed in United 22 (Figs. 2 and 5) ofattached Short outsoles 24, States Letters Patent No. 2,053,295, granted26, respectively, of shoes 25 for the reception of September 6, 1936, 0nan application led in the interlocking heels 28. The interlocking heel23 name of Fred L. MacKenzie, and which is adapthas at the upper end ofits breast a forwardly 2o ed to reduce the heel-seat portions ofattached projecting lip 30 which is of less width than the 2ofull-length soles of shoes for the reception of upper end 0f the breastof the heel, and a chanordinary Louis and Cuban heels, with suitable nel32 (Fig. 6) the upper Wall 34 of which is interchangeable parts foraccommodating short Ormed by the IOWEI face 0f the lip, and the IOWelsole and channeled heel werk. wall 3B of which extends from one side ofthe 25 With the above object in view, and in aeattaching face 38 of theheel to the other. In 25 cordance with a feature of this invention,there the nished shoe to which the heel 28 is attached are provided, incombination with means for the OTWaldly DrOjeCtIlg lip 3i) iS POSitOIledbereducing the heel-end portion of an attached sole tween the Outsole 24(Fig. 4) 0r 26 (Fig. 5) Of 0f a shoe for the reception of aninterlocking the Shoe 25 and the bottom of the shoe, the rear 30 heel, aback gage for positioning the heel-seat end 0f the reduced OUUSOIB 0fthe S1106 fitting in 30 portion of the shoe with relation to said means,the Channel 32 0f the heel- This ntellOckilg a gage comprisingrelatively movable abutments construction and the advantages thereof arefully constructed and arranged t0 engage the rear disclosed in theabove-mentioned United States end of the heel and the bottom of asole-receiv- Letters Patent N0- 2,121,172- 35 ing channel formed in thebreast of the heel, re- In Order that the fear end 0f the reduced 011'0-35 spectvely, and mechanism movable in response S01@ Shall i? m theChannel 32 0f the heel 28 to the relative movement of said abutments forpositioned upon the Shoe 25 it has been proposed so locating the shoeback gage relatively to the to trim the heel end 20 of the sole 24 fromone reducing means that the fitted sole will be of side to the other bya straight cut, as illustrated the correct length to properly fit thechannel in in Fig. 4, forming a rear face 40 which is spaced 40 thatparticular heel. a distance 4| from the heel-breast line 42 of theVarious other features of the invention, includsole, the distance 4|being slightly less than the ing the provisions for adapting the machineto depth of the channel 32 formed in the heel. The operate on ordinarywork or short sole work, Will heel end reducing operation just describedhas be understood from the following detailed debeen found to be quitesatisfactory` when the 45 scription read in 'connection with theaccomlateral margins of the sole have been previously panying drawings,in whichbeveled to a feather edge, as shown in Fig. 4, Fig. l is aperspective view, partly in section since the lateral margins of thechannel-entering an-d partly broken away, of the illustrated maportion44 of the sole can then be quickly and chine equipped to trim the heelend of the ateffectively inserted, without crowding, into the 50 tachedsole of a shoe to the form illustrated in end portions of the channel32. Fig. 4 for the reception of an interlocking heel; When the lateralmargins of the heel end of Fig. 2 shows in perspective the heel gage andthe sole have not been previously reduced to a the sole-trimmingmechanism of the machine considerable extent, as illustrated in Fig. 5,I equipped to trim the heel end of the attached have found it preferableto form a tab or chan- 55 nel entering portion 46 of. the sole, the tabhaving a rear face t8 and beveled lateral margins 5U extending forwardlyto or approximately to the ends of the heel-breast line 52 of the sole25. The tab 46 may be described as tapering rearwardly from the ends ofthe heel-breast line of the sole.

The face 55 (Fig. 4) at the rear end of the trimmed sole 2t is formed bya knife 54 (Fig. 1) which has a straight cutting edge 55 and is movablein a vertical path past the straight front edge 53 of a sole-supportingplate 6&3 upon which the heel end 2U of the attached sole 24 of the shoeis supported. The tab 46 (Fig. 5) is formed by a knife 52 (Fig. 2)comprising straight cutting edges 55, 55 which are offset lengthwise andwidthwise from each other and are joined by beveling cutting edges 68,the knife being movable in a vertical path past the front edge 'lll of asole-supporting plate l2, which has a shape corresponding to that of thecontinuous cutting edges 54, S8 and 6B of the knife 52.

Three interchangeable sets of cooperating knives 52 and plate l2, suchas illustrated in Fig. 2, are provided to accommodate a run of shoes. Itwill be appreciated that since each set of cooperating knives 62 andplates 'l2 has to accommodate several different widths of soles, thebeveled margins l) of the tabs d6 formed by the cutting edges 68 onlyextend to the sides of the sole in the case of the smallest sole to beoperated upon by that particular set of knives and plates. When a solelarger than said smallest sole is operated upon by said set of knivesand plates, narrow shoulders l@ (Fig. 5) against which the upper breastcorners of the heel abut, are formed on the sole, the width of theshoulder varying in accordance with the width of the sole. The narrowshoulders of the finished shoe are not supported against drooping awayfrom the shoe upper by the heel, and it is therefore desirable that thenext larger set of knives 62 and plates i2 be used when the width of theshoulders becomes substantial.

The sole-reducing knife 54 or 62 is clamped by a screw 16 (Fig. 2) to avertically reciprocating slide 18 of the commercial machine which isdisclosed in said United States Letters Patent No. 2,053,295 and whichis adapted to fit the heelseat portions of attached soles of shoes forthe reception of ordinary Cuban and Louis heels.

The plate Si! or 'l2 is located and held in its operative position inguideways 80 (Fig. 2) of the machine frame 8l, in place of the creaseplate (not shown) of the commercial machine, through the provision of arod 82 which may be moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 2, b-y theoperator, against the action of a spring (not shown) to withdraw atapered end (not shown) of the rod from a correspondingly shaped recess(not shown) in the side of the plate, preparatory to removing the platefrom the machine. In positioning the selected sole-supporting plate Ellor 'E2 in the machine the operator moves the rod to the left as abovedescribed and slides the plate rearwardly to its approximate operatingposition in the guideways S5. The rod 82 is then released and the plate6%] or T2 is moved slightly lengthwise until the tapered end of. the rodis forced by the spring into the tapered opening in the side of theplate.

In order to position the heel end 2i! (Fig. 4) 22 (Fig. 5) of theattached sole 2dy 26, respectively, upon the selected plate 6) (Fig. l)or l2 (Fig. 2) the machine is provided with a centralizing slide 84(Figs. 1 and 2) and a back gage 86 constructed and arranged to beengaged by the counter portion of the shoe upper. The construction andoperation of the centralizing slide 84 and the back gage 85 which issubstantially identical with corresponding mechanism of the machinedisclosed in Said Letters Patent No. 2,053,295, will be described later.It will be noted that when the machine is operating upon interlockingwork the heel gage 86 (Fig. l) comprises an extension block 83 (Fig. l)which is detachably secured to the front end of the heel gage of thecommercial machine. The extension block 83 has secured to it a pin 85which ts in a recess formed in the front end of the heel gage of thecommercial machine and is held in said recess by a spring-pressedplunger 8l.

The commercial machine may be readily converted into a machine fortrimming attached soles of shoes for the reception of interlocking heels28. Such a change is quickly effected by substituting the knife 514 andthe plate 52 when it is desired to trim the sole to the form illustratedin Fig. 4, or by substituting the knife 62 and the plate 'l2 when it isdesired to trim the sole to the form illustrated in Fig. 5, in place ofthe crease plate (not shown) and the shoulder-forming knives (not shown)of the commercial machine, and by providing a modified gage, which willeffectively measure the interlocking heel, in place of the heel gage ofthe commercial machine. Moreover, since the heel end of the sole isreduced by the vertically moving knives 54, 62, the horizontally movingcutter (not shown) of the commercial machine, which reduces theheel-seat portion of the sole by a beveling cut, is removed from themachine.

It will be noted that the plates 55 (Fig. l) "l2 (Fig. 2) are providedwith beveled faces 35, 9E), respectively, against which the rear ends ofoutsoles of full length are forced by a U-shaped clamp 92 (Fig. 1) ofthe commercial machine. In operating upon short soles the clamp 92 isremoved from the machine since the heel end of the sole is theneffectively forced against the forward part of the plate Gti or i2 byclamps 93 which are practically identical with corresponding clamps ofthe commercial machine. The clamps 92 and 93 are yieldingly mounted upona verticallymovableplungerMoperated by a treadle (not shown). Inoperating upon interlocking work a bulger (not shown) which is mountedupon the lower end of the plunger 24 of the commercial machine and whichforces` the central part of the heel-seat portion of the sole throughthe U-shaped opening of the crease plate when operating upon attachedsoles of shoes which are to receive Cuban or Louis heels, is removedfrom the plunger.

The heel gage of the commercial machine comprises a table 96 (Fig. 3)upon which the Louis or the Cuban heel to Vbe applied to the shoe beingoperated upon is positioned attaching-face down. In order to measure aLouis heel al (Fig. 3) the heel gage is provided with an abutment 2B(Figs. 1 and 3) movable forward and rearward over the table 95, and abar Ilm (Fig. 3) which may be swung about a fixed pivot |62 into itsoperative position shown in full lines or into its vertical inoperativeposition shown in dotted lines. The abutment 98 is secured through ascrew-and-slot connection |92 to a slide |95 (Figs. l and 3) Which ismovable forward and rearward in a T- shaped guideway E53 of the table 96and is pivoted at its rear end to the upper arm I l() (Fig. l) of a yokeH2 pivoted on a bearing pin H43 secured tothe main frame 8| by a screw||6. The

in the side of the slide.

yoke ||2 is normally urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.' 1by a coil spring ||8 the lower end of which is secured to a stud |28carried by the pin l I4 and the upper end of which is secured to a stu-d|22 `carried by the yoke H2. The lower arm |24 of the yoke ||2 isprovided `with a gear segment |28 meshingwith a gear |28 supported byand pivoted upon a bearing pin |38 which is secured by av screw |32 tothe main frame v8| and has a flange at its lower end. Mounted forrotation upon the bearing pin |88 and secured to the gear |28 `by abinding pin |34 is a stop |88 which has a spiral outer face |38 and hassecured to it a stud |48. When the heel is removed from the heel gage,rotation of the stop |36 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFig. 1, and therefore forward movement of the abutment 98 under theaction of the spring H8, is limited by the engagement of the stud |49with a post |42 secured to the main frame 8|.

When it is desired to measure a Cuban heel (not shown) in the heel gage,the bar |88 is moved into its inoperative position shown by dotted linesin Fig. 3, and an abutment |44 is swung 180 from its inoperativeposition illustrated in Fig. 3 about a pivot screw |46 which passesthrough a recess in the abutment |44 and is threaded into a slide |41(Fig. 2). The slide |41 may be moved forward and rearward to itsoperative position in the table 96 by turning a screw |49 (Fig. 2) whichis threaded into the table and has a flange 5| fitting in a slot |53 Theabutment |44 is held in its operative and inoperative positions `uponthe table 95 by a spring-pressed detent |55 (Fig. 3) which rits in arecess of the table |41 and registers with an elongate'dgroove |51formed at the under side of the abutment |44. In measuring the Cubanheel the concave breast of the heel is forced through mechanism abovedescribed against a convex face |48 of the abutment |44 by the movableabutment 98.

Rearward movement of the centralizing slide 84 and the back gage 86 islimited by the stop |36 through mechanism which will now be described,the stopbeing rotated to a predetermined operative position through theabove-described mechanism in accordance with the size of .a heelpositioned in the heel gage. The abutment 98 (Figs. `1 an-d 3) isengaged by the rear end of the rim of the attaching face of the Louisheel 91 (Fig. 3) and is moved rearwardly by the heel grasped in the lefthand of the operator, until the heel can be placed attaching-face downupon the table 96 between the abutment 98 and the bar |88. When the heelis released by the operator the sliding abutment 98 is moved forwardlythrough the mechanism above described, the arrangement being such thatthe breast of the heel is forced against the bar by the sliding abutment98 and is properly oriented upon the table. The heel thus clampedbetween the abutment 98 and the bar |08v has its attaching face measuredlengthwise. When the heel gage is operating on Cuban work, the Cubanheel is measured in a similar manner, the breast of the heel beingforced against the convex face |48 of the abutment |44 which is swungaround 180 from the position shown in Fig. 3, as above described.

The back gage is Inovedforward and rearward along a straight groove |58(Fig. 1) in the lower face of a stop `plate |52 which is slidable alonga pair of opposed rectilinear guideways |54 of the machine frame 8|. Thecentralizing slide 84 which has work-engaging faces |56 (Figs. 1 and 2)is also mounted for movement along a pair of opposed guideways |58 whichare parallel to and are positioned above the respective guideways |54.The centralizing slide 84 is normally urged forward against anupstanding lug |68 of the stop plate |52 by a pair of springs |62 (onlyone of which is shown) which are enclosed in recesses |64 of thecentralizing slide 84 and engage the forward ends of rods |66 which t inthe respective recesses and engage a ,lug |68 secured to the main frame8|. When the machine is idle the back gage 86 is normally held in itsadvanced inoperative position shown in Fig. 1 in front of the stop plate|52 by a spring-|19, forward movement of the back gage with relation tothe stop plate being limited by the engagement of a shoulder |12 of theback gage with the rear end of the stop plate. Extending through anelongated slot |14 of the back gage is a block |16 supported by a screw|18 which is threaded into the stop plate |52 and has an enlargedportion |88 located in a recess |82 of the block. A depending pin |84 issecured to the stop plate and rlts in a cylindrical recess |86 of theblock |16, the arrangement being such that the block may be swunglaterally with relation to the stop plate about the pin |84 withinlimits determined by the enlarged portion |89 of the screw |18.

As above described, the stop plate |52 is normally urged forward by thecentralizng slide 84 which, in turn, is constantly urged forward bysprings |62. In order to limit forward movement of the stop plate |52the block |16, which is carried by the stop plate, has secured to it adepending rod |88, which when the block is moved forward to apredetermined position, engages the main frame 8|. The block |16 has aconcave cylindrical face |88 which when the block is moved rearwardengages the spiral face |38 of the previously adjusted stop |36 therebylimiting rearward movement of the stop plate and the back gage 85.Thecounter portion of the shoe is forced against the respectiveworkengaging faces |56 of the centralizing slide, and as the shoe isforced rearward its rear end engages the back gage 86 forcing the same,together with the centralizing slide S4, rearward. As the back gage 85is moved rearward by the shoe it engages the stop plate |52 and movesthe same rearward until the face |98 of the block |15` carried by thestop plate |52 engages the stop |36. It will be clear that the positionof the shoe in the machine depends upon the angular setting of the stop|36 which is connected through the above-described mechanism to themovable abutment 98 of the heel gage.

As above explained the heel gage of the commercial machine may bequickly modied so as to accommodate interlocking heels. Preparatory totrimming the rear end of the sole straight across, as illustrated inFig. 4, for the reception of the interlocking heel, a platform or unit|92 (Figs. 1 and 3) is mounted upon the table 95. The platform |92 isprovided at its under side with a slot |94 (Fig. 3) for receiving thebar |80 and has secured to it a depending pin |96 oonstructed andarranged to t in a recess |58 of the table 96. The platform |92comprises a base portion 288 and a sole-supporting plate 282 having adepending flange 284 which rlts in a forwardly and rearwardly extendinggroove 206 of the base portion 288. 'Ihe heel-supporting plate 292 alsohas a laterally extending shoulder 2li) against which the rear end ofthe interlocking heel is forced, as illustrated in Fig. 1, by a finger 2I 2 carried by the abutment 98. In order to vary the operative positionof the shoulder 2|0 the plate 202 may be secured in different adjustedpositions upon the base portion 200 through the provision of a screw 2||which is threaded into the base portion and passes through a slot 2|3formed in the plate. The finger 292 is curved transversely in accordancewith the curvature of the channel 32 of the heel and may be swung to itsinoperative position shown in Fig. 3 when the gage is equipped toaccommodate Louis or Cuban heels or to its operative position shown inFig. 1 to engage the bottom of the sole-receiving channel 32 of theinterlocking heel 28 mounted upon the platform |92 and to force the heelagainst the shoulder 2 I0 of the platform.

When the heel-end of the attached sole of the shoe is reduced by themachine equipped with the knife 62 (Fig. 2) and the plate 'i2 to providethe tab 46 (Fig. 5) it is customary to support the heel upon a slightlydifferent type of platform or unit 2|4 (Fig. 2) which is similar to theplatform |92, but has a pair of abutments 2|6 which are engaged by thebreast of the interlocking heel. The platform 2M comprises a baseportion 2|8 which is identical with the base portion 200 of the platform|92, and a heel-supporting plate 220 having grooves 222 along which therespective abutments 2I6 may be set in diierent adjusted positionsthrough the provision of the screw-and-slot connections 2213. When theinterlocking heel has been placed upon the table 220 by the operator, anabutment 226 corresponding to the abutment 98 forces the upper breastcorners of the heel against the respective abutments 2|6 in the samemanner that the abutment 98 forces the breast of the Louis heel againstthe bar |06 (Fig. 3)` In order to vary the lengthwise operativepositions of the abutments 2|6 the plate 220 may be secured in differentadjusted positions upon the base portion 2|8 through the provision of ascrew 225 which is threaded into the base portion and passes through aslot 227 formed in the plate.

It is desirable that the abutments 2|6 engage only the upper breastcorners of the heel, and with such an arrangement it has been found thatthere is a tendency for the forward end of the heel when forced againstthe abutments 2|6 to rise out of the gage. Accordingly the plate 220 hassecured to it a leaf spring 228 (Fig. 2) which is flexed upwardly by thelip of the heel positioned upon the platform, the spring holding theheel against the above-mentioned tendency to ride up over the abutments2|6 and therefore to be forced out of its operative position in the heelgage. Interlocking heels may be effectively measured by theabove-described mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 when the sole-receivingchannels of the heels are of substantially uniform depth.

The heel end of the sole of the finished shoe should extend to or almostto the bottom of the channel 32 of the attached interlocking heel 28 ofthe shoe 25. It is therefore desirable that when the interlocking heelis positioned in the kheel-measuring gage, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, the stop |36 should be so positioned as to be engaged by the block|16 forced rearwardly by the shoe, when a transverse section of theattached sole of the shoe corresponding to faces 40 (Fig. 4) 48 (Fig. 5)is arranged in the path of movement of the cutting edge 56 (Fig. 1) ofthe cutter 54 or the cutting edge 64 (Fig. 2) of the cutter 62.

In order to position the abutment 98 (Fig. 3) in correlated positionwith the stop |36 to adapt the machine for operating upon Louis work,the movable abutment 98 is initially adjusted as above described withreference to the slide |06. It is undesirable to disturb this adjustmentbetween the abutment 98 and the slide |06 When changing over to othertypes of work and, accordingly, the above-described separate gagingmechanism is provided to adapt .the machine for interlock work.

It will be appreciated that the distance between the face 40 (Fig. 1) orthe face 48 (Fig. 5) formed upon the attached soles 24, 26,respectively, of shoes, and the rear ends of said shoes, is considerablyless than the distances between heel-breast receiving shoulders formedupon attached soles of corresponding shoes which are to receive Louis orCuban heels, and the rear ends of said corresponding shoes. Accordingly,in order that the same portion of the face |38 of the stop |36 used inconnection with Cuban and Louis work may also be used in connection withinterlocking Work, the extension block 83, which is secured to the frontend of the back gage 86 equipped for Louis or Cuban work, has .athickness 230 equal approximately to the average depth of the channel ofthe breastlock heel. As above stated, the extension block 83 may bequickly secured to the back gage 86 of the machine equipped foroperating upon Louis or Cuban work by inserting a pin 85 carried by theblock 83 in a recess of the back gage, the block being held in place bya spring-pressed plunger 81.

In order initially to adjust the machine so as to form a face 40 (Fig.4) at the proper location lengthwise of the attached sole of the shoe,the operator, after positioning the interlocking heel upon the shoe,draws a heel-breast line across the sole of the shoe. A second line,which is parallel to said heel-breast line and is set back on the sole adistance equal to the depth of the channel 32 of the heel 28, is thendrawn across the sole. The operator then forces the shoe against thecentralizing slide 84 and the back gage 86 until said second line on thesole is in alinement with the front edge 58 of the plate 60. Inpositioning the shoe as above described the block |16 is moved rearwardto a predetermined position through the above-described mechanism. Thescrew 2| which secures the plate 202 to the base portion 200 of theplatform |92 is then released and the heel is positioned upon the plate202 with its rear end in engagement with the shoulder 2 0, the gagingfinger of the abutment 98 engaging the bottom of the sole-receivingchannel 32 of the heel, as illustrated in Fig. 1. While retaining theshoe in the above-mentioned position the operator slides the plate 202of the platform |92 rearward with reference to the base portion 200 ofthe platform until the face |38 of the stop |36 has been swung intoforced relation with the face |90 of the block |16. The screw 2|| isthen tightened to secure the plate 202 in its proper adjusted positionupon the base 200.

In order initially to adjust the machine equipped with the attachmentillustrated in Fig. 2 for operating upon interlocking work, theoperator, after positioning the interlocking heel 28 upon the shoe,draws a heel-breast line across the sole of the shoe. The shoe is thenforced .against the centralizing gage 84 and the back gage 86 until thesaid line is in alinement with the latarrasa-a2 eral offset portions ofthe front edge of the plate T2, The shoe thus positioned will have movedthe block H6 rearwardto a predetermined position. The screw 225 securingthe plate 220 to the base portion 2l8 oi"` the platform 2|4 is thenloosened and the interlocking heel 28 to be attached to the shoe ispositioned upon the plate with its breast in engagement with theabutments 2l6. `The plate 220 is then moved rearward with relation tothe base portion 2 I8 of the platform 2M, the rear end of the heelforcing the abutment 225 rearward until the stop |36 has been swung intoforced relation with the face l 90 of the block |16. The screw 225 isthen tightened to secure the plate 220 and the base portion 2 I8 of theplatform 2 I4 to each other.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means forreducing the heel-end portion of an attached sole of a shoe for thereception of an interlocking heel, a back gage for positioning theheel-seat portion of the shoe with relation to said means, a heel gagecomprising relatively movable abutments constructed and arranged toengage the rear face of the heel and the bottom of a sole-receivingchannel formed in the breast ci the heel, respectively, and mechanismmovable in response to the relative move- "ment of said abutments forlocating the back gage in a predetermined position in accordance withthe relative positions of the .abutments 2. A heel-seat itting machinehaving, in cornbination, a plate for supporting the heel-end portion or"an attached sole of a shoe, a back gage for positioningthe heel-seatportion of the shoe with the sole upon said plate, a knife for reducingsaid heel-end portion'of the sole for the reception of an interlockingheel, a gage comprising a member for supporting the heel and stationaiwand movable abutments constructed and arranged to engage the breast andthe rear end respectively of the heel mounted upon said member tomeasure the heel lengthwise, a spring for forcing a projecting lip ofthe heel measured by said abutments toward said member, and meansconnected to said movable abutment for locating the back gage in apredetermined position in accordance with the position of the movable.abutment of the heel gage.

3. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means forreducing the heel-end portion of an attached sole of a shoe for thereception of an interlocking heel, a back gage for positioning theheel-seat portion of the shoe with relation to said means, a heel gagecomprising stationary and movable abutments constructed and arranged toengage the rear end of the heel and the bottom of a sole-receivingchannel formed in the breast of the heel, respectively, and mechanismmovable in response to movement of said movable abutment of the heelgage for locating the back gage in a predetermined position inaccordance with the position of said movable abutment.

4. A heel-seat tting machine having, in combination, a plate, a knifefor forming at the rear end cf an attached sole of a shoe supported bythe plate a tab which tapers rearwardly from the ends of the heel-breastline of the sole and is of suitable size to t in a sole-receivingchannel formedin the breast of an interlocking heel to be attached tothe shoe, means for operating said knife, a back gage for positioningthe shoe and the heel-end portion of its sole with relation to saidplate preparatory to reducing the heel-end portion of the sole: to formsaid tab, a* heel gage comprising stationary and movable abutmentsconstructed and arranged to engage the breast and the rear faces,respectively, of the heel, and mechanism movable in response to movementof said movable gage for locating the back gage in a predeterminedposition in accordance with the position of said movable abutment.

5. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means forreceiving either mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-seatportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the receptionv of a Louis orCuban heel, or mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-endportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the reception of aninterlocking heel, a back gage for positioning the heel-seat portion ofthe shoe being operated upon in the machine with relation to thesole-supporting and reducing mechanism of the machine, a heel gagecomprising stationary and movable abutments for measuring the Louis orCuban heel lengthwise, means for locating the back gage in apredetermined position in accordance with the position of the movableabutment of said heel gage, and a unit constructed and arranged to bereadily secured in operative position upon and removed from said heelgage, said unit comprising a stationary abutment which cooperates withthe movable abutment of Said heel gage to measure the interlocking heellengthwise. Y

6. A heel-seat fitti-ng machine having, in combination, means forreceiving either mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-seatportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the reception of a Cuban orLouis heel, or mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-endportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the reception of aninterlocking heel, a back gage for positioning the heel-seat portion ofthe shoe being operated upon in the machine with relation to thesole-supporting and reducing mechanism of the machine, said back gagecomprising an extension block which may be secured to the shoeengagingportion of the back gage equipped for Louis or Cuban work in order toaccommodate .interlocking work, a heel gage comprising stationary andmovable abutments for measuring the Louis or Cuban heel lengthwise,means for locating the back gage in a predetermined position inaccordance with the position or the movable abutment of said heel gage,and a unit which may be readily secured in operative position upon saidheel gage preparatory to operating upon interlocking work, said unitbeing constructed and arranged to support the interlocking heel andhaving one or more abutments constructed and arranged to cooperate withthe movable abutment of said heel gage to measiu'e the heel lengthwise.

7. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means forreceiving either mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-seatportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the reception of a Louis orCuban heel, or mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-endportion of an attached Sole of a shoe for the reception of aninterlocking heel, a back gage for positioning the heel-seat portion ofthe shoe being operated upon in the machine with relation to thesole-suppo-rting and reducing mechanism of the machine, a heel gagecomprising stationary and movable abutments for measuring the Louis orCuban heel lengthwise, means for locating the back gage in apredetermined position in accordance with the position of said movableabutment of the heel gage, a platform which may be readily secured inoperative position upon and removed from said heel gage, said platformhaving a f ace for supporting an interlocking heel and a shoulderextending above said face, andV a nger carried by said movable abutmentand movable upon the movable abutment to and from its operative positionadjacent to said face of the platform, said finger when in its operativeposition being constructed and arranged to engage the bottom of asole-receiving channel formed in the breast of the heel and to cooperatewith said shoulder of the platform to measure the distance between therear end of the heel and the bottom of said channel.

8. A heel-seat tting machine having, in combination, means for receivingeither mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-seat portion of anattached sole of a shoe for the reception of a Louis or Cuban heel, ormechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-end portion of anattached sole of a shoe for the reception of an interlocking heel, aback gage movable rearwardly under pressure of the shoe being operatedupon in the machine, a stop constructed and arranged to limit rearwardmovement of the back gage when the heel-seat portion of the shoe hasbeen moved to a predetermined position with relation to thesole-supporting and reducing mechanism of the machine, a heel gagecomprising stationary and movable abutments for measuring the Louis orCuban heel lengthwise, connections between the movable abutment of theheel gage and the stop for locating said stop in a predeterminedposition in accordance with the position of the movable abutment of theheel gage, means for initially adjusting said connections with referenceto said movable abutment to locate the stop in. correlated relation withthe movable abutment, and a. platform constructed and arranged to bereadily secured in operative position upon and removed from the heelgage, said platform` comprising one or more abutments which cooperatewith the movable abutment of the heel gage to measure the interlockingheel lengthwise,

9. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means forreceiving either mechanism for supporting and reducing the.` heel-seatportion of an attached sole of a shoe for the reception of a Louis or aCuban heel, or mechanism for supporting and reducing the heel-endportion of the attached sole of a shoe for the reception of aninterlocking heel, a back gage for positioning the heel-seat portion ofthe shoe being operated upon in the machine with relation to thesole-supporting and reducing mechanism of the machine, a heel gagecomprising stationary and movable abutments for measuring the Louis orCuban heel lengthwise, means ior locating the back gage in apredetermined position in accordance with the position of the movableabutment of said heel gage, and a platform having a base portion whichis constructed and arranged to be secured in a predetermined operativeposition upon the heel gage, said platform comprising a heel-supportingplate which is movable into different adjusted positions with relationto said base portion and has an abutment constructed and arranged tocooperate with the movable abutment of the heel gage to measure theinterlocking heel lengthwise.

WLLIAM D. THOMAS.

